Cruz holding up Flint aid deal in Senate

[flowers]

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/ted-cruz-flint-aid-219787

Ted Cruz is standing in the way of a bipartisan Senate bill to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in aid for Flint, Mich., and other communities that need to upgrade their drinking water infrastructure.

Senate Democrats blinked when they agreed this week to pay for federal aid to address lead-tainted drinking water in Flint by cutting a program prized by the state’s senators.

Now they say it's Republicans' turn — but at least one GOP holdout is blocking the bill.

Cruz, who is campaigning ahead of Thursday's Republican debate, has placed a "soft hold" on the aid package to give him more time to study the details of the proposal, the Texas Republican's spokeswoman Rachael Slobodien said Thursday. Without naming Cruz, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), a lead negotiator on the Flint aid package, acknowledged a hold was preventing it from moving to the floor, but Inhofe said he was hopeful the impasse could be resolved. Slobodien also said she did not expect Cruz to hold up the bill permanently.

[HonestJohn]

This is sickening.

(pardon the pun)

[ArneFufkin]

Providing a functional, sanitary water service is not a Federal obligation.  The people of Flint can't elect competent pols to address this issue?

I'm getting tired of bailing out cities hat are broken because of feckless Democrat dolts.

I'm with Ted on this one.

[sinkspur]

Rubio should confront him about this tonight.

[sinkspur]

Providing a functional, sanitary water service is not a Federal obligation.  The people of Flint can't elect competent pols to address this issue?

I'm getting tired of bailing out cities who are broken because of moribund local Democrat rule.

I'm with Ted on this one.

Flint can't afford this.  What's to be done?  No safe water?

[Longiron]

 


http://northamericanlawcenter.org/ted-cruz-is-in-the-u-s-senate-illegally/#.Vs-AgPA8Kh8

[Wingnut]

Flint can't afford this.  What's to be done?  No safe water?

Isn't that Fat Ass Mikey Moore from Flint?  His yearly cheese burger expenses should more than cover Flints water bill.

[mystery-ak]

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/270778-cruz-among-senators-holding-up-flint-energy-bill-deal

Cruz among senators holding up Flint deal

 By Devin Henry - 02/25/16 03:02 PM EST

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is among a group of lawmakers putting a hold on a deal to provide aid for Flint, Mich., and resume Senate consideration of a major energy reform bill.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told Bloomberg News Thursday that Cruz is holding up the bill.

In a brief interview with The Hill, Schumer was more coy, saying only that a “presidential candidate, not to name names,” was behind the hold.

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), who helped forge the Flint deal, said he had heard it was Cruz but wasn’t able to confirm it was the Texas senator.

Cruz spokesman Phil Novack said, “We are simply reviewing the bill right now.”

Peters indicated there could be other holds on the legislation as well.

Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) added, “There are a number of holds on both the energy and on Flint. We haven’t gotten through them all. We haven’t got an agreement yet, working on it.”

Either way, lawmakers involved in negotiating the deal are confident the measure will move forward as early as next week.

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) said any concerns over the bill are “something we can resolve” and doesn’t involve the substance of the deal.

“It won’t change very much at all,” he said.

Negotiators this week reached an agreement on a $250 million package that would aid Flint, which is suffering a severe water quality crisis, and other parts of the country with contaminated drinking water.

The bulk of the package, $200 million, would go to expand and finance a pair of loan programs to help states and localities improve drinking water infrastructure.

The deal is tied to a major energy bill, which stalled in the Senate earlier this month when lawmakers were unable to agree on Flint aid.

Once lawmakers agree on both measures, they will come to the floor for a vote, which could happen as early as next week.

"I think there’s just some outstanding holds, but those aren’t necessarily related to the water infrastructure bill,” Peters said. “It could be related to the energy bill as well. They’re working through that right now and hopefully we’ll be in a better position next week.”

Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), who lives in and represents Flint, said he hopes Cruz and other senators have good intentions.

“The hope, of course, is that they’re doing it for some tactical purpose that they will later reveal. If it’s because they disagree with help for Flint, I think that’s pretty sad,” he said Thursday.

“I think in the long run, we should be ok. I hope, anyway.”

[rangerrebew]

You certainly won't see anything about what I am going to say in the MSM.  Being in Michigan the story of Flint runs ad nauseam.  It was announced the other day that a lot of the bottled water being sent to Flint is being refused by the residents.  Apparently someone has convinced the center of Obama voters that the water is poisoned because they are black.

[flowers]

  Apparently someone has convinced the center of Obama voters that the water is poisoned because they are black.

Really? This is going to be a issue in many of the pension controlled cities around this country. They have spent the money on pensions not maintenance for water pipes IMHO. Look at Los Angeles. Daily they have water pipe breaks. I heard the head guy for that city tell radio show host if they didn't get a raise, maybe the city wouldn't get water.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Providing a functional, sanitary water service is not a Federal obligation.  I'm getting tired of bailing out cities hat are broken because of feckless Democrat dolts.

I'm with Ted on this one. 

People are really getting sick from this.  Hold the local politicians accountable--throw them out of office, throw them in jail.

But the people did nothing to deserve water that is not "functional and sanitary".  And they need help now.

I don't know how you deny this.

[ABX]

Cruz, who is campaigning ahead of Thursday's Republican debate, has placed a "soft hold" on the aid package to give him more time to study the details of the proposal....

Would I be racist to point out that one of Obama's original Campaign promises is 07/08 was not to allow bills to be rushed through but to give time for every bill to be reviewed by the public and senate before voting on and then signing?

[Right_in_Virginia]

Would I be racist to point out that one of Obama's original Campaign promises is 07/08 was not to allow bills to be rushed through but to give time for every bill to be reviewed by the public and senate before voting on and then signing?

No.  But when the issue involves people's health, I think the point is moot.

[Sanguine]

Flint can't afford this.  What's to be done?  No safe water?

How is that my problem?

[ABX]

No.  But when the issue involves people's health, I think the point is moot.

Then if it is so important, a bill isn't necessary. FEMA has emergency powers just like they don't have to wait to deploy to a hurricane zone. Pushing through a big set of bills like this does have a risk of nefarious riders.

[Fishrrman]

The city of Flint has an easy way out of their water problems.

Just re-source their water supply from Detroit, as they did years ago.

It was when they DISCONNECTED from the Detroit water (because it cost more) that their problems began (when they started taking it from a polluted river).

Shouldn't be much trouble to re-connect to the previous lines.

Should cost a lot less than "emergency funding" from the U.S. government, as well!

[EC]

My understanding (ranger?) is that they'd still be screwed even if they switched back. There's been so much damage to the pipework by the river water that some of the pipes may as well not be there any more.